OpenClaw Skills Guide: Extend Your AI Agent
OpenClaw skills are reusable capability modules stored in the skills/ directory. Each skill is a markdown file with YAML frontmatter that defines a specific ability — from web search to CRM integration. Skills let you extend your agent's capabilities without modifying core configuration files, and you can share them via ClawHub.
OpenClaw Skills are plugins that extend your AI agent's capabilities to interact with specific apps and services. Each skill consists of a SKILL.md file plus supporting files. Skills are installed from ClawHub via the CLI (clawhub install <skill-name>), authorized via OAuth or API key, and configured in seconds. ClawHub offers 10,700+ skills across categories including Communication (email, WhatsApp, Slack), Productivity (calendar, docs, spreadsheets), CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, GHL), Developer (GitHub, Jira), and Commerce (Stripe, Shopify). ClawHub also provides vector-based semantic search for skill discovery.
Skills are what make OpenClaw powerful. Each one connects your AI agent to another application, turning it into a cross-platform automation engine.
What Are OpenClaw Skills?
Think of skills as superpowers for your AI agent. Each skill teaches your agent how to work with a specific tool.
Modular Design
Install only what you need. Each skill is independent and adds specific capabilities without affecting others.
Simple Configuration
Connect apps via OAuth or API key. Skills consist of a SKILL.md file plus supporting files, and are installed via the CLI. No deep technical knowledge required.
Composable Automations
Skills work together. Combine email + calendar + CRM skills to create automations that span multiple applications.
What Are the Most Popular Skill Categories?
ClawHub offers 10,700+ skills across five major categories, with vector-based semantic search to help you find the right one.
Communication
Send messages, read inboxes, and manage conversations across all your communication channels.
Productivity
Schedule events, create documents, update spreadsheets, and manage your productivity tools.
CRM
Manage contacts, update pipelines, log activities, and automate your customer relationship workflows.
Developer
Create issues, manage pull requests, track projects, and automate development workflows.
Commerce
Process payments, manage orders, sync inventory, and handle invoicing automatically.
Copy-Paste Skill Examples
Use these ready-made skill files as starting points. Copy, paste into your skills/ directory, and customize as needed.
Simple Skill: Daily Standup Reporter
A scheduled skill that generates a formatted standup every weekday morning at 9am. Uses MEMORY.md and git log to build the report automatically.
---
name: daily-standup
description: Generates a daily standup report from recent activity
trigger: schedule
schedule: "0 9 * * 1-5"
---
# Daily Standup Reporter
## What This Skill Does
Generates a formatted daily standup update every weekday at 9am by reviewing yesterday's activity.
## Process
1. Review MEMORY.md for yesterday's completed tasks
2. Check git log for recent commits (if in a repo)
3. Review calendar for today's meetings
4. Generate a standup in this format:
### Standup Format
**Yesterday:**
- [List completed items]
**Today:**
- [List planned items from calendar and tasks]
**Blockers:**
- [Any flagged issues or dependencies]
## Output
Post the standup to the configured channel (Slack #dev-standup by default).
Keep it under 200 words. Use bullet points only.Medium Skill: Research Assistant with Web Search
A command-triggered skill that conducts multi-source web research and produces a structured report with citations. Requires the web_search and web_fetch tools.
---
name: research-assistant
description: Conducts web research and summarizes findings
trigger: command
command: /research
tools:
- web_search
- web_fetch
- file_write
---
# Research Assistant
## What This Skill Does
When triggered with `/research [topic]`, conducts comprehensive web research and produces a structured summary.
## Process
1. Parse the research topic from the command
2. Generate 3-5 targeted search queries
3. Search the web for each query
4. Fetch and read the top 3 results per query
5. Synthesize findings into a structured report
## Output Format
### Research Report: [Topic]
**Executive Summary** (2-3 sentences)
**Key Findings**
1. [Finding with source link]
2. [Finding with source link]
3. [Finding with source link]
**Detailed Analysis**
[Organized by subtopic]
**Sources**
[Numbered list of all URLs consulted]
## Rules
- Always cite sources with URLs
- Flag conflicting information between sources
- Note the date of each source for currency
- Save the report to workspace/research/[topic]-[date].mdAdvanced Skill: Multi-Tool CRM Integration
A full-featured CRM management skill for GoHighLevel. Demonstrates permissions, API configuration, safety rules, and multi-command routing.
---
name: crm-manager
description: Manages CRM operations across GoHighLevel
trigger: command
command: /crm
tools:
- api_call
- web_fetch
- file_write
- memory_save
permissions:
- read_contacts
- update_contacts
- create_tasks
---
# CRM Manager
## What This Skill Does
Manages CRM operations in GoHighLevel — looking up contacts, updating records, creating follow-up tasks, and generating pipeline reports.
## Commands
- `/crm lookup [name or email]` — Find a contact and show their full profile
- `/crm update [contact] [field] [value]` — Update a contact field
- `/crm task [contact] [task description] [due date]` — Create a follow-up task
- `/crm pipeline` — Generate a pipeline summary report
- `/crm follow-up` — List all overdue follow-ups
## API Configuration
- Endpoint: https://rest.gohighlevel.com/v1/
- Auth: Bearer token from environment variable GHL_API_KEY
- Rate limit: 100 requests per minute
## Safety Rules
- Never delete contacts — only archive
- Log all modifications to MEMORY.md
- Confirm before bulk operations (>5 records)
- Never expose API keys in output
## Output
- Contact lookups: Formatted card with key details
- Updates: Confirmation message with before/after values
- Pipeline reports: Table format with stage, count, valueSKILL.md File Structure
Every skill is a single markdown file with two parts: a YAML frontmatter block that configures the skill, and a markdown body that provides instructions to the agent.
YAML Frontmatter Fields
namerequiredUnique identifier for the skill. Used in CLI commands and ClawHub. Use lowercase with hyphens (e.g., crm-manager).
descriptionrequiredOne-line description of what the skill does. Shown in skill listings and used by the agent to decide when to activate the skill.
triggerrequiredHow the skill is activated. Options: command (explicit slash command), schedule (cron-based), event (triggered by a system event), or always (loaded for every session).
scheduleCron expression for scheduled skills. Only used when trigger is set to schedule. Example: '0 9 * * 1-5' runs at 9am Monday through Friday.
commandSlash command that activates the skill. Only used when trigger is set to command. Example: /research activates the research assistant skill.
toolsList of tools the skill is permitted to use. Available tools include web_search, web_fetch, file_write, file_read, api_call, and memory_save. Omit to use default tool set.
permissionsGranular permission scopes for API integrations. Commonly used with CRM and commerce skills to define read/write access levels (e.g., read_contacts, update_contacts, create_tasks).
Markdown Body Sections
## What This Skill DoesA brief description paragraph explaining the skill's purpose. This is the first thing the agent reads when loading the skill.
## ProcessA numbered list of steps the agent should follow. Be explicit and sequential. The agent executes this process in order.
## Output FormatDefine the exact structure of the skill's output. Include headers, labels, and example formatting. The more specific, the more consistent your results.
## RulesSafety constraints, behavioral limits, and guardrails. The agent treats these as hard requirements — it will refuse to violate them.
## Commands (optional)For command-triggered skills with multiple sub-commands, list each command and its expected arguments here.
## API Configuration (optional)Endpoint URLs, authentication methods, rate limits, and environment variable names for API credentials.
ClawHub: Discovering and Installing Skills
ClawHub is the community skill marketplace for OpenClaw. It hosts 10,700+ skills built by the OpenClaw team and independent developers.
Browse and Discover
Search by keyword, category, or use ClawHub's vector-based semantic search to describe what you want in plain language. Filter by install count, rating, or recency. Each skill page shows the full SKILL.md source so you can review it before installing.
Install in One Command
Run clawhub install <skill-name> from your terminal to install any skill. The CLI downloads the skill files into your ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/ directory and verifies the signature. You can also install directly from a GitHub URL or a local file path.
Manage Installed Skills
Use clawhub list to see all installed skills, clawhub update to pull the latest versions, and clawhub remove <skill-name> to uninstall. Skills can also be toggled on and off from the OpenClaw dashboard without deleting them.
Publish Your Own Skills
Share skills with the community by running clawhub publish from your skill's directory. Add a description, tags, and a screenshot. Skills go through automated safety scanning before becoming publicly available. ClawHub flags 824 skills as potentially malicious — always review source before installing.
Create Your First Skill in 5 Minutes
Building a custom skill requires no programming. If you can write markdown and fill in a few YAML fields, you can create a skill.
Create a new file in the skills directory
Open your terminal and create a new .md file in your skills directory:
touch ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/my-first-skill.mdAdd YAML frontmatter with name and description
Open the file in your editor and add the required YAML block at the top:
---
name: my-first-skill
description: A brief description of what this skill does
trigger: command
command: /my-skill
---Write the skill instructions in markdown
Below the frontmatter, write what you want the agent to do. Be specific about the process and output format:
# My First Skill
## What This Skill Does
Describe the purpose of the skill in 1-2 sentences.
## Process
1. First step the agent should take
2. Second step
3. Third step
## Output Format
Describe how the output should be formatted.
## Rules
- Any constraints or safety guidelinesTest by triggering the skill
Save the file and trigger the skill in your OpenClaw session. If you used a command trigger, type the command. If you used a schedule trigger, you can manually run it from the dashboard:
/my-skillShare on ClawHub (optional)
If your skill is useful to others, publish it to the community. Run the publish command from your skills directory:
clawhub publish ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/my-first-skill.mdHow Do You Install and Configure a Skill?
Browse ClawHub
Visit clawhub.ai and browse the skill marketplace. Use categories or search to find the skill you need.
Install the Skill
Run 'clawhub install <skill-name>' from the CLI to install the skill. This adds the skill to your OpenClaw instance.
Authorize the Application
Open OpenClaw, navigate to the Skills panel, and authorize the connected application via OAuth or provide the required API key.
Configure Settings
Set any skill-specific options like default folders, notification preferences, or workspace selections.
Start Using the Skill
Your AI agent can now interact with the connected app. Use natural language to trigger skill actions.
What Are the Best Skill Combinations by Business Type?
The real power of OpenClaw comes from combining multiple skills into cross-app automations.
Service Business
Leads come in, get qualified, book appointments automatically, receive invoices after service, and get follow-up sequences.
E-commerce
Orders trigger fulfillment notifications, customer support emails are drafted automatically, and daily sales reports are generated.
Agency
Client requests create project tasks, team gets notified, status updates are sent to clients, and reports are auto-generated.
Consultant
Prospects book discovery calls, receive prep materials, get invoiced after sessions, and notes are organized automatically.
How Do You Create Custom Skills?
If your application is not yet available on ClawHub, you can build your own skill. OpenClaw provides a developer framework for creating custom integrations with any application that has an API.
- Use the OpenClaw SDK to define skill actions and triggers
- Connect to any REST or GraphQL API
- Build private skills for internal use or publish to ClawHub
- Full documentation available in the OpenClaw developer portal
OpenClaw Skills FAQ
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OpenClaw Hub Guide
Understand the ClawHub marketplace, how to browse skills, and discover top-rated community integrations.
TOOLS.md Configuration
Configure which tools your agent can access. Learn the TOOLS.md file format and permission scopes.
AGENTS.md Guide
Define your agent's identity, persona, and core behaviors using the AGENTS.md configuration file.
Bootstrap Your OpenClaw Setup
Step-by-step setup guide: install OpenClaw, configure your workspace, and deploy your first agent.